Some Interesting and Surprising Facts About Skin

Aug 20, 2014 by Smart Insurance

Many people take their skin for granted, at least until it starts causing problems. Few people pay it too much attention. However, the skin is a fascinating part of the human body, as these interesting (and sometimes downright strange) facts demonstrate.

Measurement Matters

The average adult human being has around two square metres of skin; it is the largest organ in the human body. Skin accounts for approximately 15% of bodyweight and fulfils a range of functions including temperature control and protection of the internal organs. Skin contains around 45 miles of nerves and 11 miles of blood vessel.

The thickness of skin varies widely according to its location on the body. The thinnest skin is found on the eyelids and the thickest on the soles of the feet. Skin also varies in its ability to flex and stretch: it can do this better in some body areas (e.g. the knuckles of the hands and feet) than in others (e.g. the scalp).

Skin Care

It is important to look after skin by keeping it clean and hydrated. However, this must be done with care: the outer layer of skin is kept moist by natural fats called lipids, but the use of detergents (soaps) and alcohol (such as those found in some cosmetic products) can destroy those lipids and leave the skin vulnerable. Adding moisture can help to protect the skin and keep it looking its best.

As most people know, prolonged sun exposure can cause severe skin damage, including skin cancer, and premature ageing.

Odd Facts

Every person sheds around 30,000 dead skins cells every minute of every day, and the entire body of skin renews itself around once a month.

The human skin is home to around a thousand species of bacteria.

Scientists have recently re-programmed human skin cells to become fully functional liver cells, bringing hope that this may ultimately offer an alternative to liver transplants.

It can take six months for a baby to develop its final skin tone.

'Smart skin', a stretchy skin patch containing specialist sensors, may soon be used by doctors to monitor health and deliver time-sensitive medications precisely when the body needs it. Other medical care is already being delivered using microchips that are inserted under the top layer of skin (rather like identity chips in domestic pets!)

Dead skin accounts for around one billion tonnes of the dust in the atmosphere and a considerable proportion of dust in the home.

In the UK, around one in five people has chosen to decorate their skin with at least one tattoo. In Japan, there are records of tattooing having been carried out at least as early as 5,000 BC.

Piercing is another common form of skin decoration. The world's most pierced man is Rolf Buchholz from Germany, who has more than 450 piercings.

The two types of healthy fish

Many people cite fish as being a far healthier option to meat and cheese as a protein in our diets, and yet we know that many fish are contaminated by the pollution that humans caused in the first 100-plus years since the Industrial Revolution.

Juice that fruit!

If you've got the will to consume the veggies you think you should have, that's great, but if they're already getting you down – and let's face it, you can have too much of a good thing sometimes – why not invest in a juicer?

2,476,435 new vehicles were registered in the UK during 2014, the largest number since 2004. Of these just 51,733 were completely electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. the types of car most widely considered as being 'green'.

Many people cite fish as being a far healthier option to meat and cheese as a protein in our diets, and yet we know that many fish are contaminated by the pollution that humans caused in the first 100-plus years since the Industrial Revolution.

If you've got the will to consume the veggies you think you should have, that's great, but if they're already getting you down – and let's face it, you can have too much of a good thing sometimes – why not invest in a juicer?

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Smart Insurance® is a trading name of Neilson Financial Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and entered on the Financial Services register www.fsa.gov.uk/register/ under reference 594926. Neilson Financial Services Limited. Registered in England and Wales. Number 07986483. Registered Office: Landmark Place, Windsor Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 1JL. All products are arranged by Smart Insurance and issued, underwritten and administered by Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under reference 110002, with permission to effect and carry out contracts of insurance.